and Irving Caesar. Best known were her Spanish lyrics to song hits "Rum and Coca-Cola" (English lyrics by Morey Amsterdam) and "Managua Nicaragua" (English lyrics by Albert Gamse). In 1945, after the Division and Cultural Cooperation of the Department of State, along with the Music Educators National Conference, called for translations of the United States' national anthem, the "Star-Spangled Banner," to be translated into Spanish and Portuguese so that it could be read in the countries that speak those languages. It had already been translated into Spanish twice, but neither could be sung. Arias took on that task, and translated it as closely as she could into Spanish. Arias' version remains to this day the only official translation of the national anthem allowed to be sung. Amongst her numerous compositions, "Huiracocha" may be the best known. Named for a god of the Incas, the song retells the legend of his emergence from the depths of Lake Titicaca to create the sun, moon, and stars, and to breathe life into Allcavica, ancestor of the Inca people. According to Arias's own program note, this song is "dedicated to the Indian, the Forgotten Man of the Americas". It tells of the "sadness of a race calling to the ancient god of their forefathers, who no longer hears his children". Tributes On December 9, 2006, "Huiracocha" was performed at London's Barbican Hall by tenor Juan Diego Flórez. A separate is also available for viewing. In 2013, "Huiracocha" was recorded by Ward De Vleeschhouwer on the album Chicha Morada in a version for piano solo. Her lyrical Spanish translation of "The Star-Spangled Banner" is on display in The Star-Spangled Banner exhibit at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. An exhibit with a display of her cultural achievements in the arts and writings opened at the Albert H. Small Documents Gallery September 27, 2012, and was on display until April 2013. On October 30, 2020, the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. posted a tribute to Arias on their Instagram account @amhistorymuseum.7 List of works See also List of 20th-century American women composers References 1901 births 1959 deaths People from Iquitos People from Manhattan Writers from Brooklyn Musicians from Brooklyn Songwriters from New York (state) 20th-century American composers 20th-century American translators 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American women musicians 20th-century American musicians 20th-century women composers Advertising in the United States American